Across the Lava Fields w/rework

[MonikaC]

I happened to look at my computer as my screensaver were cycling and the color version of this came up. It had never really "worked" for me the way being there had. We were driving across Iceland from North to South over/through various lava flows, the youngest being about 3 years old. In some places, the road was simply the flattest part of a boulder field marked by cairns. As a lover of badlands, the starkness of the area held a powerful beauty for me. Back to the screensaver: somehow it just clicked that I should put it into B&W, even though the original blue sky contrasted nicely with the black sand. What do you think?

Here are 2 versions of the B&W (& oops somehow got the color one in 2x & don't see how to delete just one of them....sorry)

View attachment 8761

 

[Ben Egbert]

I can see the appeal in both versions. The B&W may be a tad dark.

 

[AlanLichty]

Two very different moods to this scene with these renditions. The B&W might benefit from a slight nudge in the midtones to add a little more light into the scene. It loses some of the depth between the foreground plain and the mountains behind on the left side of the scene.

 

[JimFox]

Interesting Monika, it's funny how ideas can just pop out of no where.

I do like the color version, I think it's really cool and maybe you are being a bit too harsh on it not working.

I like the idea of the B&W. My thoughts are the mountain is too dark now, you need detail back in it. In the foreground, the ripples of the ground could be accentuated by darkening the blacks a bit more and perhaps nudging the whites. A rippling foreground would add a lot I think.

And then finally... How about a crop? I was thinking to keep the same format but lose some of the left side and some off the bottom. Basically to slide those grasses over to the left a bit more.

You have a diamond in the rough here, just a bit of polishing will really make it shine.

 

[MonikaC]

I can see the appeal in both versions. The B&W may be a tad dark.

Two very different moods to this scene with these renditions. The B&W might benefit from a slight nudge in the midtones to add a little more light into the scene. It loses some of the depth between the foreground plain and the mountains behind on the left side of the scene.

Interesting Monika, it's funny how ideas can just pop out of no where.

I do like the color version, I think it's really cool and maybe you are being a bit too harsh on it not working.

I like the idea of the B&W. My thoughts are the mountain is too dark now, you need detail back in it. In the foreground, the ripples of the ground could be accentuated by darkening the blacks a bit more and perhaps nudging the whites. A rippling foreground would add a lot I think.

And then finally... How about a crop? I was thinking to keep the same format but lose some of the left side and some off the bottom. Basically to slide those grasses over to the left a bit more.

You have a diamond in the rough here, just a bit of polishing will really make it shine.

I should have said that I didn’t take any time with the B&W. Seems like there’s enough there to actually develop it. I’ll play with that & a crop over the weekend and repost.

Thanks!

 

[Jim Dockery]

I prefer the B&W, and don't mind loosing detail in the mountain, but I'm a sucker for contrast. What I see is a tighter composition zoomed in on the grass:

 

[Mike Mancil]

Jim D +1. That bit of grass makes the shot for me.

 

[MonikaC]

I prefer the B&W, and don't mind loosing detail in the mountain, but I'm a sucker for contrast. What I see is a tighter composition zoomed in on the grass:

View attachment 8766

That crop makes a nice diagonal left lower to right mid. Thanks, Jim!